Resveratrol - molecular 3d spacefill. Image by CCRoberts

Compound found in red wine looks promising.

Scientists have long known that red wine has its benefits. But a molecular compound found in the wine could prove to be one of the greatest breakthroughs in the fight against aging.

The compound, known as resveratrol, is found in on grape skins, red berries and peanuts. Scientists are hoping that this molecule may one day become the drug that prolongs life by staving off diseases.

Their optimism is backed by promising research in mice and other organisms.

Researchers discovered that resveratrol slows age-related disease and decline in mice. In one study, the mice were fed a standard western high-fat diet, and some of them were given high doses of purified resveratrol. The mice treated with the resveratrol put on the weight but didn’t develop the diseases associated with a fatty diet.

The mice given the resveratrol showed better cardio-vascular improvement, had better balance and motor control and better bone health than the untreated mice. They also had fewer problems with cataracts.

But in spite of the promising findings in the rodents, the jury is still out on what kind of affect resveratrol might have on humans. “We do have a large volume of experience of things that work very well on mice, but don’t translate well to humans,” says Dr. Felipe Sierra, Director of the Division of Aging Biology at the National Institute of Aging.

Research findings on monkeys and humans are forthcoming.

There are no known toxic effects of resveratrol, but Sierra cautions that you can’t just drink red wine and hope to get some of the benefits. The doses given to the mice were the equivalent of drinking 300 bottles of wine every day.

Companies are already selling resveratrol in pill form and consumers are snatching it up after it was touted by Dr. Mehmet Oz on The Oprah Winfrey Show and after 60 minutes featured a piece on its potential benefits earlier this year.

The buyer should beware, however, because there have been a number of consumer complaints about companies selling resveratrol. Forbes magazine reported that a number of shady businesses selling resveratrol supplements were hawking the drug using Web sites with Dr. Oz’s image.

The Forbes story said one company selling the supplements online has drawn a number of angry complaints from consumers. The consumers’ credit cards were billed every month for $85.26, even though they thought they only ordered a 30-day free supply of the pills.

Oprah threatened legal action against companies after reports surfaced about scams that used either her name or Dr. Oz’s to sell their products. “Neither Oprah nor Dr. Oz are associated with nor do they endorse any specific resveratrol product, company or online solicitation of such products,” a statement on Oprah’s Web site says.

Only time and more research will tell whether resveratrol will actually fight off age-related disease in humans. But one way or another, scientists are going to pour maximum resources into finding out as much about the compound as they can, along with anything else that holds the promise of fighting off disease later in life.

“At the end you’re going to be sick no matter what,” Dr. Sierra says. “But if we can postpone that, and you stay healthy longer, that is our goal.”

Top Resveratrol Products

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All of the people who tested the product reported a lift in their overall energy levels only 3 days after they started taking it. Everyone also report their appetit has decreased and they were eating less and after only 7 days everyone lost a large amount of weight. As you can see these are the desired results and they met & exceeded our expectations.

2. Youth ResV Pro

Youth ResV

We did not feel the effects of the product as quickly as we did with Pure RezV. Everyone noticed some results only after 2 weeks and our energy levels increased after 5 days.

Drug grows longer, thicker lashes.

The makers of Botox are giving the billion-dollar mascara industry a run for its money with a new product that grows runway lashes and gives off the look of youth.

Allergan, the company that has women around the world lining up to get their faces frozen to smooth out their wrinkles, unveiled Latisse earlier this year. Latisse is the only FDA-approved prescription drug for growing eyelashes.

The drug is already drawing rave reviews and gaining a steady devotion of followers.

“I just love it,” said Cindy Ross, vice president of sales for Connecticut-based Young pharmaceuticals. “I can’t believe the difference in my lashes. It really makes a difference in the way that you look.” She says her lashes grew so long and thick after using Latisse that her mother asked her if they were false.

The product, she says, brings out her eyes and gives her a more youthful look.

Courtesy of Allergan

For Ross, the price of the drug—$120 a month—is well worth the benefits. Continuous use of the drug is required to keep the lashes long.

Ross, who is 57, participated in the Latisse clinical trial.

Eyelashes grew 25 percent longer, 18 percent darker and a whopping 106 percent thicker during the trial. The product, however, is actually not new. It’s the same formula as Lumigan, a drug that’s been used for years to treat glaucoma. Lumigan was formulated to reduce the pressure that builds up on the eye in glaucoma patients, but doctors found that one of its side effects was longer and thicker eyelashes.

Latisse is not without its own side effects. It can cause itching and redness in the eyes and a darkening of the eyelid. The company also warns that there is the potential for the drug to turn the iris permanently darker. That was a side effect for a few of the glaucoma patients who used the Lumigan eye drops. Unlike, Lumigan, Latisse isn’t placed directly in the eye. It’s applied on the lash line of the upper lid.

Allergan found no darkening of the iris during the clinical trial of Latisse, a company official said.
“As for potential side effect, Latisse was also well tolerated in the clinical study and the most commonly reported side effects after using Latisse are an itching sensation in the eyes and/or eye redness,” Heather Katt, a spokeswoman for Allergan said. “This was reported in approximately four percent of patients.”

When it comes to enhancing the eyelashes, other products also have their problems, one doctor points out.
“There are risks with Latisse, but in talking to patients, some of the things that patients do to enhance their eyelashes also involve risk,” says Andrew Iwach, spokesman for the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

He says women interested in Latisse should go to an ophthalmologist. Unlike other doctors, Iwach says, an ophthalmologist can prescribe and monitor Latisse, as well as give a comprehensive eye-disease screening recommended for patients over 40.